of the wood as they pursued the hare, while Turka rallied them with
blasts on his gorgeous horn: yet I did not stir.




VIII -- WE PLAY GAMES

THE hunt was over, a cloth had been spread in the shade of some young
birch-trees, and the whole party was disposed around it. The butler,
Gabriel, had stamped down the surrounding grass, wiped the plates in
readiness, and unpacked from a basket a quantity of plums and peaches
wrapped in leaves.

Through the green branches of the young birch-trees the sun glittered
and threw little glancing balls of light upon the pattern of my napkin,
my legs, and the bald moist head of Gabriel. A soft breeze played in
the leaves of the trees above us, and, breathing softly upon my hair and
heated face, refreshed me beyond measure, When we had finished the
fruit and ices, nothing remained to be done around the empty cloth, so,
despite the oblique, scorching rays of the sun, we rose and proceeded to
play.

"Well, what shall it be?" said Lubotshka, blinking in the sunlight and
skipping about the grass, "Suppose we play Robinson?"

"No, that's a tiresome game," objected Woloda, stretching himself lazily
on the turf and gnawing some leaves, "Always Robinson! If you want to
play at something, play at building a summerhouse."